Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1

Chapter 37

 Chapter 37

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“How did you know?”  Hazel, the vampire, demanded as she slid from around the trunk of a tree.  She wore another flimsy black dress, only this time a black parasol lounged casually against one shoulder, shielding her from the gray daylight. 

 “You smell like blood,” Eliot all but growled. Miriam didn’t miss how his eyes cut nervously in her direction. 

Hazel pouted, glaring at someone behind them.  “You Oaf!  I told he would know.”

 “Sorry.”  Miriam turned to find the other half of the strange pair, Sage, standing a few feet behind them, bathed in shadow.  “I was…hungry,” he added, licking a crimson spot from his lips. 

Miriam shivered and unconsciously shifted closer to Eliot.

“What are you two doing out?”  he demanded.

“It’s almost nightfall,” Hazel replied, twirling the end of her parasol around and around. 

“And we’re bored of that damn house,” Sage pitched in.  “We aren’t feral puppies you can keep on a leash, you know.”

Eliot seemed to disagree.  "Get back to the--"

“Let us come with you.”  Hazel’s black eyes were pleading.  “Pretty, pretty please?”

“No.”

The only warning Miriam had was a flash of white before Eliot grabbed her arm and started to drag her in an opposite direction. 

“Why not?”  Sage appeared in front of them this time, crossing his pale arms over the front of a dark sweater. 

“We promise not to be naughty,” Hazel added, appearing by his side.  She smiled, revealing a flash of her pearly white fangs.  “Pinky promise.  We will be on our very best behavior.”

“Somewhat,” Sage added in a grumble. 

Eliot looked like he might say no again--or worse.  His eyes narrowed dangerously.  Then all at once his grip tightened and Miriam found herself behind dragged back in the direction of the forest. 

“Yay!”  Hazel exclaimed.  There was a sharp snap as if she had clapped her hands together.  “How exciting.”

“Oh yes, goody,” Miriam heard Sage remark sarcastically.  “Running around in the woods on an errand for some crazy ass witch.  My idea of fun—”

“Sage!” Hazel giggled even as she scolded him.  “You’re idea of fun is anything with a beating heart and two legs—”

“Shut up.  Watch what you say around the mortal,” Sage stage-whispered.

But Miriam was too busy confused by something else the vampire had said than to worry about the morbid innuendo. 

“Witch?”  She asked, glancing up at Eliot’s pale jaw. 

He didn’t answer.  His grip only tightened around her wrist until she was half afraid he’d cut the circulation off.  He led her hallway up a snow-covered hill while Sage and Hazel followed behind, muttering together under their breath.

Eventually, even they fell silent, and not long after they entered a wide open grove, centered around a sight that made Miriam’s mouth drop open. 

“Wow,” she blurted, gaping as her boots crunched over the ice and snow.

Spread out below, like a circle of silver, was a medium-sized lake, nestled in among the trees. In the fading daylight the small clearing resembled some untouched winter paradise from a fairytale.  The waters of the lake weren’t even frozen yet and lapped patiently against a rocky beach.